Car-coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. v

(No Model.) 7 J. SKINNER. GAR COUPLING Patented June 14, 1887.

ATT y W 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. SKINNER.

OAR COUPLING.

(No Model.)

No. 364,867. Patented 11111514, 1887.

Ill/ll N. Pzrzm mmuuw mr. Washington. a a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SKINNER, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO OREN STOWEAND ALEXANDER D. MOGALL, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,867, dated June 14,1887.

Application filed January 17, 1887. Serial Noaflillfi iil. (No model.)

To all'whom it may concern:

- will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to makeanduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters and figures of reference marked'thereon, which form apart of this specification.

' My invention in car-couplings relates to that class employing thecommon link and pin.

The parts are so constructed that when set (prior to the coming togetherof the cars) the cars will be coupled as soon as the parts meet,

and without additional assistance, being automatic in their movements.The parts may also be set to avoid coupling when the cars meet, as inswitching a car or several cars back onto another track; and myinvention is designed as an improvement upon Letters Patent issued to meonJune 10,1884, No. 300,148; and my invention consists in theorganization of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and designatedparticularly in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an endview of'a car containing my invention, the parts being set to receivethelink, as in coupling. Fig. 2 is a like View of car in which thedraw-head cation, 0 represents the cars, D the draw-heads,

L the link, and P the cdupling-pins, all of which are in common use. Thedraw-heads and internal bars, 8, are constructed substantially as shownin my Letters Patent No. 300,148, excepting the slot 9 and pivot-pin 10of Fig. 3 is a central vertical lougitudi and dropping the coupling-pin.

said patent which I dispense with, and simplify construction by formingtransversely in the draw-heads a channel, 1*, (see Fig. 3,) leading fromthe internal chamber, 12, and provide the sliding bar 8 with a hooked orengaging head, 1, at the rear end, which enters the transverse channel1" as the sliding bar is advanced by the downward sliding of theledges t15, formed on each side of the forward or head end, H, of said slidingbar, the ledges i tbeing supported 'on the inclines i 1', formed in eachdraw head. (The ledges and inclines are found in my former patentcited.) By this arrangement, when the hooked end 3 of the sliding-barhas entered the channel 0-, the head H of said bar will have advancedover the pin-hole e of the draw-head, thereby preventing the draw-pinfrom dropping, and as the link L enters the mouth of the draw-head thehooked rear end of the sliding bar will move backward out of thechannel, being slightly elevated, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3,the link forcing said bar backward and upward.

In mypresent invention I have shown mechanism for drawing thecoupling-pin without goin between the cars, as is the common pracplishthese results I attach to each end of a 'car over the draw-head arock-shaft, B, being sufliciently long to cross .the car, havinganoverhanging arm, A, at the center, its outer end standing over thecoupling or draw pin I, and being coupled to said pin by means of adouble eyed link, f, having one end hooked into the upper end of thepin, the other end being hooked into the outer end of the arm A. Iprovide the rod R with a crank-handle, G, at each end, the ends of therod being bent over upon itself, forming the loop-handles h h. Near eachcorner of the car I attach metal supports or bearing-boxes BB, in whichthe rod R has a reciprocating motion for raising I also support said rodby means of two bearings, 11. n,

near the center. The boxes or supports 13 B are provided with a slot oropening, S, to reccive the crank-handlcs O O, terminating with adepression, a, which is made to coincide with the form of thecraulehandle, all of which are clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. It willbe observed that the openings in the plates B B for the reception of thecrank-rods are L-shaped. The normal position of the rod R is shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and to raise the coupling-pin to uncouple or to set itfor coupling the operator grasps one of-the handles it of the rod andraises it horizontally, as shown in Fig. 1. As the pin rises the slidingbar 8 advances under the pin, as shown in Fig. 3, thus prc- Venting itfrom dropping, and holds the haudles h h of the shalt or red R in ahorizontal position,as shown in Fig. 1. As the cars approach the link Lenters the mouth of the drawhead, forces the sliding bar 8 backward andupward, allowing the pin to drop through the link, thus making acoupling. The overhanging of the arms I1 I: causes the pin to movedownward rapidly.

To uncouple the cars and set the pin P so as not to couple when the carsare brought together, the operator turns a handle, 71, of the rod It toa horizontal posit-ion, then forcing said rod endwise from or toward himwill cause one of the arms or crank-handles C to enter the slot S,formed in one of the supporting-plates B, and then dropping the handle Gslightly it will enter the depression (4, thus arresting the descent ofthe pin and preventing the bar R from movingendwise and drop ping downby thejolling of the car.

The locked posit-ion of the bar is clearly Shown in Fig. 5. Thecoupling-pin, being held in an elevated position, cannot enter the linkwhen forced into its draw-head, as in shunting a car or cars ontoanother track.

To set the coupling-pin so as to couple when the bar R is in the lockedposition shown in Fig. 5, the operator slightly raises the handle 0,then forces the bar it endwise sufficiently to release the crank-handlefrom the slot S, when the crank-handles will drop slightly, the lowerend of the pin 1? will be arrested by the projecting head of the slidingbar 8, and when the link L forces the sliding bar 8 back thecrank-handles will drop down to the position shown in Fig. 1 andindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, the parts being coupled.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In combination with the draw-head having the chamber 12, thetransverse channel 1' at the rear end thereof, and inclines i t at thefront end, the sliding T-shaped bar 8, located in said. chamber andhaving the hooked rear end, y, and the link and coupling-pin, as and forthe purposes specified.

2. In combination with the car, the drawhead having the chamber withinclines 2' i and transverse channel 0, the sliding T-shaped bar havingthe engaging end 9 the link and pin, the rod 1t, attached to theend ofthe car,having the central arm,with link f, coupling said arm to thepin, the crankarms, the boxes B Land central snpportsm. a, attached tothe ear,

and for the purposes specified.

3. In combination with the car, the draw,

head having the chamber 12 and inclines i 2', the sliding T-shaped barlocated in said drawhcad, the link and pin, the rod R, having end arms.0, and arm A, the link f, coupling said arm A to the pin, and the boxesB B, attached to the car, said boxes having the slots SS to receive thearm 0 of said red, as and for the purposes specified.

4. In combination with the car, the drawhead, thelink and pin, the rodIt, having end handles and central overhanging arm, A, the link f,couplingsaid arm to the pin, and the boxes 13 B, one or both of saidboxes having the slot S, with depression a, as and for the purposesspecified.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN $KINNER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE WALKER, AARON Canes.

